A Hollywood Republican

This blog is for an open discussion on politics. My views will be to the right as will be most of the posters. But, we are willing to post alternative viewpoints as lons as they are well thought out. I started this in response to the Obama election and will continue it as long as it feeds a need.

Jul 23, 2009

Obama’s Report Card

It has been six months since the Administration took office and the far left have taken complete control of the government. Has our capitalist past been improved upon? Or, is the socialism we have had thrust upon us making us worse off? Has the foreign policy of appeasement and apology made the world a safer place? To put it more simply, are you better off now than you were six months ago? Unfortunately, the answer is not only “no,” but “much worse.”

When the President took office in January, the entire world was full of “Hope.” The far left and moderates that put him there were hoping for “Change.” Well, they got the change, but I do not think they were “hoping” to get the type of change they got.

Foreign Affairs

After three trips abroad, the President may have made a lot of friends, but he has not done much to make us safer. Iran has continued its nuclear program unabated and continues to threaten both the west and Israel. North Korea is testing missiles and nuclear bombs and nobody does anything about it. Obama apologizes for American arrogance in the past and then cannot get the EU or anyone else to agree to his foreign policy or to spend more money on their own domestic stimulus plans.

In Russia, he speaks, declares the meetings successful, but nothing happens. Then, in a video that was not played at all by the liberal media in the United States, none of the Russian government officials shake his hands. In fact, they snub him.

Pakistan came very close to falling to the Taliban and is still fighting them off. That was not a typo, Pakistan, not Afghanistan. We have increased our presence in Afghanistan, but we still can not make any inroads. In fact, the past few months in Afghanistan have been the bloodiest from an American standpoint in years. The Taliban grows stronger and stronger each day. Maybe we need a Bush like surge in order to finally end the quagmire there?

To give the President some credit, we have begun our withdrawal of troops from Iraq. This appears to be working as there has not been any major incidents since the withdrawal began. Iraq has not fallen to the radical groups and the government seems to be stable. However some troops should stay just to maintain the peace and calm that is currently in that country.

Grade: D

Domestic Policy

The stimulus package that is costing taxpayers almost 800 billion dollars is a failure. That is a fact. Actually, it is such a failure that the President’s numbers are tanking probably almost exclusively because of this. His approval rating has dropped nine points in two weeks to under 56%. He now has the tenth lowest approval rating over all presidents at this point in their presidency. As we all know the stimulus package was passed with the President’s usual statement that it had to be done now. The economy could not wait. A crisis was about to occur.

It was promised in order to get the stimulus passed, that unemployment would not go above eight percent. It is now at 9.6% and easily on its way to over ten. In fact, the latest estimates say ten is not even a top figure. Jobs have not been saved. They are being lost at an alarming rate. There are even allegations that Obama’s office is keeping economic statistics from the American people so that his health care plan can pass. If Americans knew the true numbers on the economy, healthcare would be dead on arrival. But to listen to the President last night, the stimulus has worked. I do not know what figures he is looking at, but they definitely are not the same ones the general public is seeing.

Keynesian stimulus plans do not work. As I have said before in this column, a stimulus did not work in the Great Depression. It did not work in Japan in the 90’s and it will not work now. Recessions are cyclical as are growth periods. Time will end this recession and nothing else. The only difference now is that when this one ends our future will be laden with more debt than anyone could have imagined on November 4, 2008, when this president was elected. And, the Federal Reserve will be stronger and have more control of the economy as a result therefore.

At the current pace, the Federal Debt will be doubled in less than eight years. It took 43 Presidents to get the debt to ten trillion dollars. Obama will double it in less than eight. The current deficit of 1.3 trillion dollars is more than the last five years of Bush’s deficits combined. And, last night in his sales pitch on healthcare, Obama says that this year’s deficit is inherited from President Bush. Who is he kidding?

Obama is now losing his own party members. The so called “Blue Dog,” Democrats are running from him. Maybe it is out of fear because of the “Cap and Trade,” debacle. Maybe it is out of fear for deficits. Actually, it is out of fear for their jobs. If you were a Democrat from a conservative Southern or Midwestern State what would you do now? We have the worst case of “Tax and Spend” in American history.

Oh, I’m sorry; to correct myself so far it has just been Spend. The Tax portion has not hit yet. At some point, one of these spending sprees is going to break its own back and then the tax increases will come. And, when they come, mark my words, it will not be just the rich that are going to feel them in their pocketbooks.

“Cap and Trade,” has some of the largest penalties for capitalism in the history of the United States. If you pollute, you will pay. Thank God this bill looks like it is dead in the Senate. And, thank God, the aforementioned Blue Dog Democrats are killing this proposed health care plan as well.

Everyone in this country would love to have a health care plan that guarantees health care to everyone; that stops insurance companies from denying coverage based upon pre-existing conditions and that stops doctors from over treating. But, a single payer system will not work. It will ruin the best medical care in the world. And, that assumes that someone actually figures out how to pay for it.

Of course, Obama wants the “rich” to pay for it. Keep the lower classes covered without having to pay. Make the rich, evil capitalists pay for health care. Make them pay for everything. That will make life fairer.

Grade: F

After all, isn’t that what this is all about? This is about making life fair. It is socialism pure and simple. Since January 20, 2009, the government has taken over the insurance, banking and automobile industry. We are regulating whatever industries we have not taken over. And, now we want to create the biggest bureaucracy in the history of mankind; a government run health care industry.

It is time to stop. Life is not fair. There will always be rich. There will always be poor. Is it fair for one child to be born on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with rich parents? Is it fair for another child to be born into poverty in Calcutta? Is it fair for the Far Left Liberals to take away all of the incentive for personal improvement and gain that have made this country different from India and the European Socialist countries. No. It is not fair. And, hopefully 2010 is coming quickly so that all of the Far Lefties can be sent into retirement. That includes specifically; Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Chris Dodd, Barbara Boxer, and Barney Frank.

Oh, by the way, I sent a letter to Barbara Boxer this week saying that I was against the health care plan and that she should not vote for it under any conditions. This is the response I received:

Dear Mr. DeMartini:
Thank you for writing to me about the need for health care reform. I am committed to enacting comprehensive health reform that controls rising health care costs and ensures high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
Congress recently passed a budget that lays out some basic principles for health care reform: making health care coverage affordable, guaranteeing Americans a choice of health plans and physicians, investing in prevention and wellness, improving patient safety and quality care, and making health care reform fiscally sustainable.
As the number of uninsured Americans grows rapidly, more people are suffering and forgoing needed care. It is estimated that more than 45 million Americans are without health insurance, including 6.7 million people in California.
Escalating health care costs are hurting our families and our economy. In order to put our economy on a sound path to recovery, we must address the costs and inefficiencies of our health care system. As we move forward in the debate on health care reform, I will continue to fight for common goals of constraining costs, expanding access, and improving quality.
I look forward to working with the Obama Administration and my colleagues to enact legislation that will put these principles for health care reform.
Again, thank you for writing to me. Please feel free to contact me again about this or other issues of concern to you.

Barbara Boxer
United States
Senator

She did not even read my letter. This woman should be the first to be put into retirement when she is up for reelection.

© 2009 Frank T. DeMartini. Permission to copy will be given freely upon request.

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13 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

1. You don't know what socialism is
2. How are you (personally) worse off under Obama?
3. Iran and North Korea were testing nukes under Bush, it is a big problem both administrations have dealt with similarly
4. We do have troops in Pakistan, they are an ally and remember the previous administration didn't want to go in there
5. Keep in mind the stimulus is the the 2nd stimulus, the first one was under Bush. Obama has a LOT of problems to fix that were left after Bush took an 8 year shit on America. The stimulus should have been harsher on Wall Street and Corporate America to make them more accountable.
6. If you don't think Keynesian economics worked and rescued our beloved country from the big depression, you need to go back to school and enroll in some economics courses. The alternative? Friedman's disaster economics destroyed lives and countries especially in Central America.
7. This years debt is from Bush, are you dreaming, were you asleep during the countless "emergency" spending bills for his wars that went directly into the pockets of arms manufacturers for weapons we will never use. They had to add spaces to the debt clock under GWB.
8. No one is crying for the rich, they have had far too much for far too long. The top 5% have all the wealth and most of us have nothing.
9. You should post your letter to Boxer and then we will see why she didn't reply.
10. Who do you write this column for?

July 23, 2009 at 12:24 PM  
Blogger Frank T. DeMartini said...

Why don't you have the guts to identify yourself? I do. By the way, you either can't read or can't type. I say that the Keynesian policies did not bring us out of the great depression.

July 23, 2009 at 3:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your politics are really just republican talking points, no personal insight whatsoever. and by the way, I know what you said about Keynes, that's why I wrote: "If you don't think Keynesian economics worked and rescued our beloved country from the big depression, you need to go back to school and enroll in some economics courses."

July 23, 2009 at 3:45 PM  
Blogger Frank T. DeMartini said...

You should look at WW2 as the reason the depression ended. It was still going on when Lend/Lease started.

July 23, 2009 at 4:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The depression was almost over before WW2. So do you think more wars will help? The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have not helped our economy.

July 23, 2009 at 4:29 PM  
Anonymous Ira Schwartz said...

Frank,

You know how I feel about Obama. We've discussed him several times. I do think, however, everyone is jumping the gun. These economic problems have been festering for decades no one in their right mind could ever believe anyone, Democrate, Republican, Martian..could fix this in 8 months. This will take years. Your anonymous friend is correct about one thing..Bush knew this was happening and did nothing constructive to stop it. Just swept it under the rug until it was too big to hide. Cap and Trade is a disaster in the making, federally run health care is a train wreck. I can't see any of these bills passing. As for his foreign policy...does he have one? It seems to me it is more like "lets throw something against the wall and see if it sticks" policy. But remeber one thing...he is still better than an administration with Sarah Palin as VP. As for Boxer...both her and Feinstein need to retire to a place that's very far away. 8 months is not enough time to effectually grade this president. Try it again in two years.

Ira

July 23, 2009 at 7:48 PM  
Anonymous Ira Schwartz said...

Left one thing out. The only reason the Russians would not shake Obama's hand is because he is black. They hate blacks more than Jews.

July 23, 2009 at 7:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Franky,
Wow...you really got folks going with this one. I have to agree with Ira on some points and you on some others. It is way too early to be grading any President. Especially one who inherited what Obama walked into. These are chronic problems which can not be fixed with acute methods. I think when a President comes in he is probably realistic in the fact that his re-election is not a grantee. Soooo he paces his strategy so as to get where he wants his administration to be in a four year period...not four or five months!
As far as North Korea and doing nothing. I don't think given the scale of what needs to be done there that all USA moves will be pre-broadcast on CNN before they are made. That would not be smart. I think plenty is being done but we are not going to know about it until it happens.
I agree with you though Franky that things look grim in some ways but in other ways they look promising...at least for now.
Let's all ride it out a bit longer before we cast too many stones.

Bruce Carson

July 24, 2009 at 10:00 AM  
Blogger MetGuy said...

Thanks Frank,

Why are we so focused on how the President is running the country? The truth is: the country is controlled primarily by the Congress; that's the way it's set up and that's the way it should be.

Maybe it's because he President is a single human, and the Congress is an anonymous blob. Sure, the President can give a speech and everyone listens. He also has the veto, but his powers are comparatively weak. Congress is responsible for the deficit spending, not any President.

Spending originates in the Legislative Branch, and that's true in California, too. The President controls only the money Congress gives him.

Frank the Meteorologist

July 25, 2009 at 12:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

1. One theme I see in the previous posts is, that the economy has been spiraling for decades. How easy it is to blame Bush for the country's woes. It is easy to make one president a scape goat for every national issue. In fact, if I remember correctly he was a veritable hero when we went into Iraq after 9/11. Unfortunately, the conflict did not go as the country visualized, so now he is the blame. In fact, we were ethically and morally responsible for getting Hussein out of Iraq, as our country influenced his rise to dictatorship. I wonder why the media forgets these major faux pauxs in our foreign meddling. For example, we were sucked into the Vietnam conflict since Truman was president. Indochina asked for our help and we refused, but we sent over advisors. Kennedy was actually responsible for sending over the first troops.

2. Healthcare! Now you've got me started. We are going to entrust the same congress to push through a healthcare reform policy by August 7th?? The same congress that pushed through a bailout and stimulus package without reading it? The country was forced to swallow billions (trillions when all is said and done) without real representation.

This country has not been able to reform healthcare, but now we are going to be able to do it in 2 weeks. I don't think so. And why are all republican solutions not considered.

Let's consider the $5,000.00 tax credit. Democrats say that amount of money is not enough and will pay for poor coverage. I pay less than that amount for a group policy for my entire family (for excellent coverage.) All those employees working for small businesses who cannot or do not offer health coverage can have a large group policy. They pay their $5,000.00 a year and get a tax credit (which means they pay NOTHING). Healthcare for millions of employed people in a group plan. Group plans pay for pre-existing conditions. For the rest of the 9.6% unemployed. Cobra coverage. If I lose my job, I have cobra coverage until I get another. The remaining unemployed are either disabled and get disability and Medicaid. Then there are those who are well bodied (lazy) Americans who do not work, and don't plan to work. I don't know about you, but I am sick of paying for those individuals sucking up my tax dollars. Those individuals need to be made accountable once and for all!

Plus all those additional health premiums collected should offset the price of healthcare coverage! Insurance companies must make a profit to cover the cost of healthcare. If I pay $5000.00 a year, but surgery or illness cost $250,000.00, where does all difference come from? Premiums and investments. You want your insurance company solvent and profitable.

I wish we were not subject to these decisions. Of course, they are well educated, but do not have the experience in business and healthcare to make such decisions. Especially in a 2 week time frame.

Very frustrating!!

July 26, 2009 at 7:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I got the exact response from mrs. boxer. She doesn't read anything except liberal talking points. As for the movie industry in SoCal. Ask your liberal/democrat tax and spend elected officials why they charge outragous fees, taxes etc. Huge sums of money are leaving the State because liberals think taxation is a better method of cash flow than people having jobs.

July 28, 2009 at 8:45 AM  
Blogger Editor said...

Neat, but I'd give his foreign policy an F

July 29, 2009 at 8:15 AM  
Anonymous Joe V. said...

>She did not even read my letter.

She doesn't read the bills she votes on, why would you expect her to read your letter?

July 29, 2009 at 11:54 AM  

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